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Semi-Sweet
Hannah Robinson is just about to open the doors to her new shop Cupcakes on the Corner when out of the blue her boyfriend Patrick announces that he's leaving her for another woman. Faced with starting a business on her own, Hannah begins to wonder if her life-long dream has just turned into a nightmare. So her best friend Adam sets his birthday as a deadline - seven months to make her shop a success, or walk away from it all. And as Hannah immerses herself in her new business, she soon discovers that she's too busy to think about Patrick and his now pregnant girlfriend ...or to notice an increasingly regular customer who has recently developed a sweet tooth for all things cupcake. But while Hannah is slowly piecing her life back together, family friend Alice's is falling apart. Her husband Tom's drinking is getting out of control and things are about to get a whole lot worse. As the seven-month milestone approaches, Hannah must decide her future. And while she's figuring out what's really important, it becomes clear to everyone that happiness in life, and in love, is all in the making. (2008)
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
125 people are currently reading
1941 people want to read
About the author
Roisin Meaney
44 books386 followersBorn on 3rd September.
A published author of twenty books for adults and three for children, Roisin worked as an advertising copywriter for a number of years, and brings a vast amount of experience to the editing team. Her first novel, The Daisy Picker, won a Write a Bestseller competition. Her third novel, The Last Week of May reached number one on the Irish bestseller list and her fourth, The People Next Door reached number two. Her books have been translated into several languages, and two, Semi-Sweet and Life Drawing for Beginners, have been published in the US. She is currently working on her next book, which is scheduled for publication in autumn 2023. She is also plotting another children's book - shhhhh.
A published author of twenty books for adults and three for children, Roisin worked as an advertising copywriter for a number of years, and brings a vast amount of experience to the editing team. Her first novel, The Daisy Picker, won a Write a Bestseller competition. Her third novel, The Last Week of May reached number one on the Irish bestseller list and her fourth, The People Next Door reached number two. Her books have been translated into several languages, and two, Semi-Sweet and Life Drawing for Beginners, have been published in the US. She is currently working on her next book, which is scheduled for publication in autumn 2023. She is also plotting another children's book - shhhhh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
January 28, 2021
Trying to make sure I am better at populating my reviews for books I have read this year. I always have about 30-50 that I just never get around to writing due to time constraints.
I re-read Semi-Sweet this January because I actually like for the most part how the book develops characters. I have to say though until I did a re-read of Meaney's works I had no idea how often she re-uses certain tropes. That's honestly the only reason why I gave this one 4 stars. When I first read it a few years back I would have given it 5 stars.
"Semi-Sweet" follows Hannah Robinson who is about to open her own cupcake shop. However, her boyfriend Patrick breaks up with her and she finds out it is because he's been having an affair with another woman Leah who is now expecting their first child. Hannah is trying to regain her footing and ends up moving in with her longtime best friend Adam. The story follows not only Hannah, but her parents, Leah, Patrick, Adam, and a host of other people.
I have to say that I really liked the development of Hannah in this one. We have her trying to move on from Patrick, dating again, and realizing that maybe dating is not the end all be all.
I was kind of tired of Adam though. He in essence "stalks" a woman he has designs on and honestly I just didn't think it was a cutesy thing at all. Adam's sister Nora was a hot mess too.
Leah and Patrick were very frustrating to read about and follow. But I like to think this was Meaney's way of showing how the other woman ends up. I mentioned tropes that Meaney often has in her books and she often has the heroine or hero in her books being cheated on by a family member or close friend. And then we watch them put themselves back together.
The writing I thought was really good. This book honestly reminded me a bit of some of Maeve Binchy's books. That is not a bad thing. Though you would think Hannah is the main character, she is just one of many characters we follow. The flow gets a bit wonky at times, but the overall book is really good.
The setting of the book really makes the town/village that the characters live in seem small, but it's not. There's also a lot of heartbreak in some cases in this one but ultimately I liked the book.
I re-read Semi-Sweet this January because I actually like for the most part how the book develops characters. I have to say though until I did a re-read of Meaney's works I had no idea how often she re-uses certain tropes. That's honestly the only reason why I gave this one 4 stars. When I first read it a few years back I would have given it 5 stars.
"Semi-Sweet" follows Hannah Robinson who is about to open her own cupcake shop. However, her boyfriend Patrick breaks up with her and she finds out it is because he's been having an affair with another woman Leah who is now expecting their first child. Hannah is trying to regain her footing and ends up moving in with her longtime best friend Adam. The story follows not only Hannah, but her parents, Leah, Patrick, Adam, and a host of other people.
I have to say that I really liked the development of Hannah in this one. We have her trying to move on from Patrick, dating again, and realizing that maybe dating is not the end all be all.
I was kind of tired of Adam though. He in essence "stalks" a woman he has designs on and honestly I just didn't think it was a cutesy thing at all. Adam's sister Nora was a hot mess too.
Leah and Patrick were very frustrating to read about and follow. But I like to think this was Meaney's way of showing how the other woman ends up. I mentioned tropes that Meaney often has in her books and she often has the heroine or hero in her books being cheated on by a family member or close friend. And then we watch them put themselves back together.
The writing I thought was really good. This book honestly reminded me a bit of some of Maeve Binchy's books. That is not a bad thing. Though you would think Hannah is the main character, she is just one of many characters we follow. The flow gets a bit wonky at times, but the overall book is really good.
The setting of the book really makes the town/village that the characters live in seem small, but it's not. There's also a lot of heartbreak in some cases in this one but ultimately I liked the book.
April 4, 2021
Girl gets dumped, girl opens bakery, girl finds true love. A common chick-lit plot. Which is fine. You know what you’re getting. So this was just right. A few twists, a few additional plot-lines, and a nicely wrapped up ending. I couldn’t quite categorize this as cozy because there was some heavy stuff in here. I suppose I could say it’s semi-cozy. All handled well by the author.
April 4, 2011
As I peruse book blogs, it seems that the latest fad is books with some sort of dessert in the title. When this one was offered on NetGalley, it piqued my interest so I grabbed it. I found it to be an interesting book about a young woman's love life--yet it wasn't a romance in the usual sense. While Hannah was certainly the main character, she did not appear in all scenes and one of the subplots did not really involve her at all.
Semi-Sweet is set in a small Irish town and was actually first published in Ireland. I enjoyed reading about some of the differences in Irish culture and ours. The town in which this book was set was one small enough that everyone knew everyone, yet the characters often took taxis. Prices for things were quoted in Euros or Pounds Sterling, which given my total lack of knowledge of currency exchange, meant nothing to me. American spelling was used in this book.
For a short book, Semi-Sweet had a lot going on. We follow Hannah through several relationships; watch Alice and Tom go to Hell and back, and cheer Adam on as he reaches out to the mysterious musician. Nora is easy to hate, and I just wanted to shake Leah. Patrick didn't change Will the cupcake shop make it?
One disadvantage of reviewing a NetGalley edition rather than the published book is that I don't know if the issues I had with the formatting will be in the final, or not. As I noted above, there is a lot happening in this book and the story lines don't really tie together. One paragraph would be about one story line and then the next about another, and there were no visual cues in the galley I read to tell me to shift gears. Only after realizing that the paragraph I just read didn't make sense when added to the one before did I realize that I had been shifted to a different story line. Perhaps the final will have some sort of heading or spacing to show this.
I wonder if there is going to be a sequel because the ending, while definitely showing that things are heading in the right direction does not give any final outcome to the relationships.
There are lots of incidences of non-marital intimacy in the book, but mostly we are left on the other side of the bedroom door. Grade: B
Semi-Sweet is set in a small Irish town and was actually first published in Ireland. I enjoyed reading about some of the differences in Irish culture and ours. The town in which this book was set was one small enough that everyone knew everyone, yet the characters often took taxis. Prices for things were quoted in Euros or Pounds Sterling, which given my total lack of knowledge of currency exchange, meant nothing to me. American spelling was used in this book.
For a short book, Semi-Sweet had a lot going on. We follow Hannah through several relationships; watch Alice and Tom go to Hell and back, and cheer Adam on as he reaches out to the mysterious musician. Nora is easy to hate, and I just wanted to shake Leah. Patrick didn't change Will the cupcake shop make it?
One disadvantage of reviewing a NetGalley edition rather than the published book is that I don't know if the issues I had with the formatting will be in the final, or not. As I noted above, there is a lot happening in this book and the story lines don't really tie together. One paragraph would be about one story line and then the next about another, and there were no visual cues in the galley I read to tell me to shift gears. Only after realizing that the paragraph I just read didn't make sense when added to the one before did I realize that I had been shifted to a different story line. Perhaps the final will have some sort of heading or spacing to show this.
I wonder if there is going to be a sequel because the ending, while definitely showing that things are heading in the right direction does not give any final outcome to the relationships.
There are lots of incidences of non-marital intimacy in the book, but mostly we are left on the other side of the bedroom door. Grade: B
May 5, 2011
Hannah Robinson gets a huge surprise when she is getting ready to attend a party with her boyfriend, Patrick. Patrick informs Hannah that he can no longer pretend to love her. He has found someone else. Hannah’s life starts to crumble. She was suppose to open a bakery called Cupcakes on the Corner but without Patrick in her life, she just wants to stay in her home and not leave. Hannah’s good friend, Adam convinces Hannah to open her shop and give it at least seven months before she gives up. Hannah becomes a bit distracted that she does not even notice when a handsome customer starts flirting with her. Oh, what is a woman to do!
To be honest, I personally could not get into this book. I did give it several tries. While, I did think this was a nice read, I just could not connect with the characters. I found them to be a little too into every one else’s business and I especially wanted to shake Hannah and tell her to forget Patrick, she deserved better and move on. Instead, she seemed lost without him and kept pining over him, until about the last half of the book. This is when she did realize that she deserved better and in fact there was someone else that was interested in her. Though, I did like Adam. He was a sweetie and the best friend that anyone could ask for. While this book did not hit my sweet tooth, I would be willing to give author, Roisin Meaney another chance in the future.
To be honest, I personally could not get into this book. I did give it several tries. While, I did think this was a nice read, I just could not connect with the characters. I found them to be a little too into every one else’s business and I especially wanted to shake Hannah and tell her to forget Patrick, she deserved better and move on. Instead, she seemed lost without him and kept pining over him, until about the last half of the book. This is when she did realize that she deserved better and in fact there was someone else that was interested in her. Though, I did like Adam. He was a sweetie and the best friend that anyone could ask for. While this book did not hit my sweet tooth, I would be willing to give author, Roisin Meaney another chance in the future.
July 9, 2012
I picked this one up at the library because it was about a cupcake shop and made me think of my favorite cupcake shop employee. So if you want to know what it's like to start a cupcake shop in an Irish town in the middle of a recession and a disastrous love life, this book is for you.
What this book really needed was some humor. It wasn't entirely depressing or anything, but really some humor would have done wonders for it. Made it less humdrum ordinary. The relationships entered into at the end don't really seem destined to last, even though what you look for in a book like this is lasting true love. And I'm not sure how stable the cupcake shop is going to be in the long run (how long can a tiny Irish town keep ordering cupcakes anyway?) Also, Tom, well, no one in this book really seems to want to face reality with that one (or care, maybe?) since no one seems to think about his future, but it's pretty clear to me that he's going to have some time on his hands to re-assess his life. I think the author could have made her characters more endearing, make you care about them more.
On the plus sides, it was about cupcakes and it was a fast read. I like both of those things.
What this book really needed was some humor. It wasn't entirely depressing or anything, but really some humor would have done wonders for it. Made it less humdrum ordinary. The relationships entered into at the end don't really seem destined to last, even though what you look for in a book like this is lasting true love. And I'm not sure how stable the cupcake shop is going to be in the long run (how long can a tiny Irish town keep ordering cupcakes anyway?) Also, Tom, well, no one in this book really seems to want to face reality with that one (or care, maybe?) since no one seems to think about his future, but it's pretty clear to me that he's going to have some time on his hands to re-assess his life. I think the author could have made her characters more endearing, make you care about them more.
On the plus sides, it was about cupcakes and it was a fast read. I like both of those things.
November 1, 2020
This book sat on my nightstand for months and I kept avoiding it knowing it would be predictable chick-lit. Finally picked it up Friday night when I couldn't sleep and read the whole 376 pages before I went to bed Saturday night. It was surprisingly good and not as predictable as I predicted (ha!). It was light, yes, but the characters had more depth than I expected and it was a good, relaxing book.
July 25, 2017
Another masterpiece
I have now read ALL of Roisin Meaneys novels and what a fantastic journey i have been on. One i didn't want to end.Her story telling draws you in to every character in the book. More please!!!!
I have now read ALL of Roisin Meaneys novels and what a fantastic journey i have been on. One i didn't want to end.Her story telling draws you in to every character in the book. More please!!!!
April 11, 2023
First of all, I haven’t finished a book for personal enjoyment in TOO long. like it’s way overdue. Partly due to attention span and stuff like that so I am so proud of myself for just Reading a Book. And I loved the way this was written. Not too much happens, but for a small town there are so many romances and tragedies and just drama where everyone is intertwined in some way, and those tangled relationships are revealed throughout the story. I loved finding things out and how things ended up playing out in the end. I also loved how comforting this book was, like I could just open it and suddenly I was in a cupcake shop in rainy beautiful Ireland drinking a cup of tea with hannah and her loving mother. Definitely makes me want to visit.
June 24, 2025
This book is indeed semi-sweet! I loveeeed Adam and Viviennes story - I’d take a sequel of just them. And the way all the perspectives come together is really nice - but I wish we got more of all of the stories. The lack of chapters is truly my only complaint - but it did make it much harder to put the book down!
June 3, 2021
Aunt story...light reading...a happy heart romance about a young woman who while starting her own cupcake shop learns her live in boyfriend has cheated on her. Her best friend and she move in together and she learns that she must be happy with herself and her life before she can be happy with someone else.
July 5, 2011
It doesn’t get sweeter than cupcakes and love. For Hannah Robinson, it’s all she’s ever wanted; a cute cupcake store on the corner, a wonderful boyfriend and armfuls of potential. She thought she had it all, but when her boyfriend announces quite suddenly that he’s leaving her for another woman with only days to prepare for her store’s opening she’s devastated. Through the help of her best friend Adam and the drive to finish what she set out to do Hannah opens her store and keeps busy. All the while her ex-boyfriend, Patrick has learned he’s going to be a father from his new girlfriend and Hannah has found a new potential love interest. This and more is what awaits readers of Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes.
Where to begin? How could you possibly go wrong with a cupcake shop? You really can’t, and I loved Hannah’s shop with it’s unique decorations and quaint atmosphere. I’m a huge fan of food in Chick Lit books, especially when it’s done well. In Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes Hannah gives herself seven months to make it work and she absolutely does. How could anyone survive such a horrendous break-up only a week before opening your own business? Yet for Hannah it was just the perfect thing to keep her busy and moving forward to the next great thing.
As for the love interests in the book…for some reason, even now, I still wanted Hannah to end up with her best friend Adam. What is it about girls with best guy friends and wanting them to suddenly discover they’re in love with each other? It must be partially due to my love of the movie My Best Friends Wedding. But seriously, I loved the tension and friendship between Adam and Hannah as well as there pact to marry each other if they were both still single in their 60′s. So adorable! That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Hannah and Adam’s respective love interests throughout the book as well as many of the supporting cast.
As for the remaining characters in the story…Geraldine, Fiona, Stephen, Wally, John, Leah, Nora, Dave, Claire, Una, Alice, Tom and a few others. It all got to be a bit much for me. It was a bit like reading a soap opera with just as much sexual happenings as well. I think that though I loved some of the supporting cast, my disappointment came when I was becoming engrossed in Hannah’s story and suddenly without little or no notice at all I’m whisked away to another character I’d have to take a moment to remember. In the first hundred or so pages it was a bit confusing, but once I got acquainted with everyone it started to get easier. What I really wanted was more of Hannah and Adam’s story as well as perhaps a bit of Leah and Patrick. Though the main characters were still more than present in many of the scenes I would have enjoyed it a bit more were they not chopped up so much.
Regardless of my misgivings, Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes was an incredibly fun read. As Hannah stumbles through her recovery from losing Patrick you are able to see the wonderful person she is and all she has to offer the world. A story about finding oneself, enjoying life and making the most of every moment no matter the circumstances. A wonderfully enjoyable and quick read from Roisin Meaney!
Originally reviewed and copyrighted at Chick Lit Reviews.
Where to begin? How could you possibly go wrong with a cupcake shop? You really can’t, and I loved Hannah’s shop with it’s unique decorations and quaint atmosphere. I’m a huge fan of food in Chick Lit books, especially when it’s done well. In Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes Hannah gives herself seven months to make it work and she absolutely does. How could anyone survive such a horrendous break-up only a week before opening your own business? Yet for Hannah it was just the perfect thing to keep her busy and moving forward to the next great thing.
As for the love interests in the book…for some reason, even now, I still wanted Hannah to end up with her best friend Adam. What is it about girls with best guy friends and wanting them to suddenly discover they’re in love with each other? It must be partially due to my love of the movie My Best Friends Wedding. But seriously, I loved the tension and friendship between Adam and Hannah as well as there pact to marry each other if they were both still single in their 60′s. So adorable! That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Hannah and Adam’s respective love interests throughout the book as well as many of the supporting cast.
As for the remaining characters in the story…Geraldine, Fiona, Stephen, Wally, John, Leah, Nora, Dave, Claire, Una, Alice, Tom and a few others. It all got to be a bit much for me. It was a bit like reading a soap opera with just as much sexual happenings as well. I think that though I loved some of the supporting cast, my disappointment came when I was becoming engrossed in Hannah’s story and suddenly without little or no notice at all I’m whisked away to another character I’d have to take a moment to remember. In the first hundred or so pages it was a bit confusing, but once I got acquainted with everyone it started to get easier. What I really wanted was more of Hannah and Adam’s story as well as perhaps a bit of Leah and Patrick. Though the main characters were still more than present in many of the scenes I would have enjoyed it a bit more were they not chopped up so much.
Regardless of my misgivings, Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes was an incredibly fun read. As Hannah stumbles through her recovery from losing Patrick you are able to see the wonderful person she is and all she has to offer the world. A story about finding oneself, enjoying life and making the most of every moment no matter the circumstances. A wonderfully enjoyable and quick read from Roisin Meaney!
Originally reviewed and copyrighted at Chick Lit Reviews.
April 30, 2011
Semi-Sweet is an engaging story with surprising depth and emotion.
Hannah's fairytale romance abruptly ends when her live in boyfriend leaves her for someone else. The other woman, Leah, has ensured Patrick's attention by deliberately falling pregnant, but he has already proved loyalty is not his strong suit. Hannah's best friend Adam, has a crush on a painfully shy clarinet player, while his twin sister is looking for a little fun. Family friend Alice, is concerned by her husband's growing dependence on alcohol and the strain it is placing on their marriage. The novel examines the complex web of relationships in a small Irish town, and how the loss, and gain, of love changes them.
Hannah's story is central, her breakup with Patrick, her anxiety over the launch of her new business, and then her fledgling romance and attraction as she begins to recover from Patrick's duplicity, leads the character driven novel. Hannah is immediately sympathetic and Meany has captured the emotions of loss and mourning when a relationship ends suddenly with a deft hand. I think because we as the reader are aware of what a creep Patrick is, it does get a bit wearing as Hannah dwells in misery, but the rebuilding of her battered self confidence is realistic, which creates a well rounded and very likeable character.
Hannah is surrounded by friends and family in her small Irish town, and Meaney uses their perspective to reflect Hannah's experiences as well as develop subplots that weave their way through the story. We see different sides to the relationship between Leah and Patrick that couldn't be explored from a single viewpoint. Similarly we are able to follow Adam's growing crush on ?? and her brother's attraction to Hannah. The ties between this group of characters, also including Nora and Patrick are well managed and the shifts in perspective generally smooth.
Alice's story didn't work for me. She is peripherally connected to Hannah as a family friend, but her relationship is very self contained and the drama it provides barely touches the other characters at all. As the other subplot's are intimately tied to Hannah, it seemed an odd addition to the storyline.
With so many characters having the opportunity to provide different perspectives on events, and each other, Meaney highlights the shades of grey found in real life. Leah is firstly introduced as a calculating mistress, for example, but slowly earns our sympathy as she struggles with her cold and judgmental mother and Patrick's callous behaviour.
Semi-Sweet is not the lighthearted chic lit I was expecting but something rather more complex in both style and theme. At times both sweetly romantic and painfully emotional, it is a charming and satisfying read.
Hannah's fairytale romance abruptly ends when her live in boyfriend leaves her for someone else. The other woman, Leah, has ensured Patrick's attention by deliberately falling pregnant, but he has already proved loyalty is not his strong suit. Hannah's best friend Adam, has a crush on a painfully shy clarinet player, while his twin sister is looking for a little fun. Family friend Alice, is concerned by her husband's growing dependence on alcohol and the strain it is placing on their marriage. The novel examines the complex web of relationships in a small Irish town, and how the loss, and gain, of love changes them.
Hannah's story is central, her breakup with Patrick, her anxiety over the launch of her new business, and then her fledgling romance and attraction as she begins to recover from Patrick's duplicity, leads the character driven novel. Hannah is immediately sympathetic and Meany has captured the emotions of loss and mourning when a relationship ends suddenly with a deft hand. I think because we as the reader are aware of what a creep Patrick is, it does get a bit wearing as Hannah dwells in misery, but the rebuilding of her battered self confidence is realistic, which creates a well rounded and very likeable character.
Hannah is surrounded by friends and family in her small Irish town, and Meaney uses their perspective to reflect Hannah's experiences as well as develop subplots that weave their way through the story. We see different sides to the relationship between Leah and Patrick that couldn't be explored from a single viewpoint. Similarly we are able to follow Adam's growing crush on ?? and her brother's attraction to Hannah. The ties between this group of characters, also including Nora and Patrick are well managed and the shifts in perspective generally smooth.
Alice's story didn't work for me. She is peripherally connected to Hannah as a family friend, but her relationship is very self contained and the drama it provides barely touches the other characters at all. As the other subplot's are intimately tied to Hannah, it seemed an odd addition to the storyline.
With so many characters having the opportunity to provide different perspectives on events, and each other, Meaney highlights the shades of grey found in real life. Leah is firstly introduced as a calculating mistress, for example, but slowly earns our sympathy as she struggles with her cold and judgmental mother and Patrick's callous behaviour.
Semi-Sweet is not the lighthearted chic lit I was expecting but something rather more complex in both style and theme. At times both sweetly romantic and painfully emotional, it is a charming and satisfying read.
January 16, 2012
Just days before Hannah Robinson is to open her own shop, her live-in boyfriend dumps her. He says he has found someone new and moves out on the eve of her celebration party. Shocked and heart-broken, Hannah throws herself into her shop. She arises every morning at three am to make dozens of delectable cupcakes to sell in her shop. She knows she needs to find another housemate to help her pay the bills, but she is too sad and busy to worry about it right now.
Patrick feels bad about dumping Hannah, but it couldn't be helped. He was enjoying juggling two women, but Leah became pregnant so he moved in with her. But things are not going well with Leah's mother as she plays bridge with Hannah's mother and the two are not happy with their offspring.
Then Hannah's best friend Adam decides to move in with Hannah to help her pay the bills and to let his sister Nora use his flat, since she is recently divorced and needs somewhere to stay. Nora finds a job as a PA assistant for Patrick and becomes the perfect dalliance for Patrick to escape his humdrum life.
Adam takes to going to a new wine bar on the weekends and urges Hannah to come along. Adam has his eye on a shy blonde who plays the clarinet. But Hannah starts to see one of the players who also comes into her shop, a carpenter named John.
Meanwhile, Geraldine, Hannah's mother, works at the Glass Slipper for a woman named Alice. Alice's husband Tom works with Geraldine's husband Steven. Alice is concerned about Tom's habit of drinking and when an accident brings things to a head, life gets sticky for everyone concerned.
A top-notch cast of characters whose lives intermingle will have you cheering and booing at some of their choices and antics. I totally despised the characters of Tom and Patrick but I really enjoyed Hannah, Adam and Geraldine. You will find yourself caught up in their lives, sharing their heartbreaks, triumphs and zest for life. Roison Meaney's writing reminded me alot of Debbie Macomber and Jill Mansell. I really enjoyed the writing and the dialogue between the characters as well as having a novel that ended without any loose ends. Well worth the read!
Patrick feels bad about dumping Hannah, but it couldn't be helped. He was enjoying juggling two women, but Leah became pregnant so he moved in with her. But things are not going well with Leah's mother as she plays bridge with Hannah's mother and the two are not happy with their offspring.
Then Hannah's best friend Adam decides to move in with Hannah to help her pay the bills and to let his sister Nora use his flat, since she is recently divorced and needs somewhere to stay. Nora finds a job as a PA assistant for Patrick and becomes the perfect dalliance for Patrick to escape his humdrum life.
Adam takes to going to a new wine bar on the weekends and urges Hannah to come along. Adam has his eye on a shy blonde who plays the clarinet. But Hannah starts to see one of the players who also comes into her shop, a carpenter named John.
Meanwhile, Geraldine, Hannah's mother, works at the Glass Slipper for a woman named Alice. Alice's husband Tom works with Geraldine's husband Steven. Alice is concerned about Tom's habit of drinking and when an accident brings things to a head, life gets sticky for everyone concerned.
A top-notch cast of characters whose lives intermingle will have you cheering and booing at some of their choices and antics. I totally despised the characters of Tom and Patrick but I really enjoyed Hannah, Adam and Geraldine. You will find yourself caught up in their lives, sharing their heartbreaks, triumphs and zest for life. Roison Meaney's writing reminded me alot of Debbie Macomber and Jill Mansell. I really enjoyed the writing and the dialogue between the characters as well as having a novel that ended without any loose ends. Well worth the read!
December 19, 2014
Sweet and interesting story, but a bit too predictable.
I really enjoyed the book overall and liked the protagonist and her best friend Adam. I also liked the different stories and the constant back and forth between. HOWEVER, some characters were as clichéed as "pure evil" cartoon characters and one is left wondering why they are behaving the way they do. For example:
SPOILER alert: Although there is a brief explanation for Patrick's behavior near the end, it seems rather unrealistic that a man would treat women the way he does after his own mother DIED. And there is no explanation for Nora's backstabbing and betrayal whatsoever. I guess the fact that she lived in the U.S. is explanation enough for being such a skank??
I also couldn't stand some of the characters, who were supposed to be like-able. I got really annoyed by Vivienne and her odd behaviors and the middle school bullying seems like the lamest PG rated excuse ever! No one would be THIS shy, after 12 years and with a loving family! Uhhh!
I also didn't like Alice too much. She never spoke up and just seemed to dwell in self pity when her husband needed help-and let's face it: she was partly to blame!
I also wish we had known a little more about Wally, besides the fact that he drives a cab, has a sister and mother, and loves wool hats. It was also never explained why the heck he got into that accident... it seems weird that the book got into so much detail about Patrick and Jack's "love making" qualities, but fails to mention if Wally is even a good kisser.
Anyway, overall still liked the book a lot, and enjoyed the end, although it was predictable at least halfway through the book.
I really enjoyed the book overall and liked the protagonist and her best friend Adam. I also liked the different stories and the constant back and forth between. HOWEVER, some characters were as clichéed as "pure evil" cartoon characters and one is left wondering why they are behaving the way they do. For example:
SPOILER alert: Although there is a brief explanation for Patrick's behavior near the end, it seems rather unrealistic that a man would treat women the way he does after his own mother DIED. And there is no explanation for Nora's backstabbing and betrayal whatsoever. I guess the fact that she lived in the U.S. is explanation enough for being such a skank??
I also couldn't stand some of the characters, who were supposed to be like-able. I got really annoyed by Vivienne and her odd behaviors and the middle school bullying seems like the lamest PG rated excuse ever! No one would be THIS shy, after 12 years and with a loving family! Uhhh!
I also didn't like Alice too much. She never spoke up and just seemed to dwell in self pity when her husband needed help-and let's face it: she was partly to blame!
I also wish we had known a little more about Wally, besides the fact that he drives a cab, has a sister and mother, and loves wool hats. It was also never explained why the heck he got into that accident... it seems weird that the book got into so much detail about Patrick and Jack's "love making" qualities, but fails to mention if Wally is even a good kisser.
Anyway, overall still liked the book a lot, and enjoyed the end, although it was predictable at least halfway through the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2016
Ho rimandato da anni la lettura a questo libro regalatomi che dovevo leggere per una challenge lo scorso anno che poi ho abbandonato perchè, niente.. Cupcake club mi faceva nausea solo dal titolo. Anno nuovo, nuova challenge... stesso obiettivo! Non è possibile perdere la prima manche solo per un titolo, quindi armatami di coraggio, ho finito il libro ed...è stato carino. Non un colpo di fulmine, ma assenza totale dello zucchero che temevo. Certo, la molla che ha dato inizio al libro è stata Hannah, lasciata da Patrick per un'altra proprio mentre ha aperto il suo Cupcake Club, scommessa di una vita. Ma la storia non finisce qui... In questo il libro mi è un pò parso un "Seggio vacante" della Rowling un pò mal riuscito ed elementare, ma comunque gradevole. Dal fattaccio di Hannah conosciamo la storia di tutte le persone che hanno contatto con lei, più o meno marginalmente, in quel del paesino irlandese di Clongarvin dove tutti sanno tutto di tutti. Quindi conosciamo la solida routine dei genitori di Hannah, il comportamento bastardo dell'ex di Hannah,Patrick, e tutti i suoi sordidi giochetti, la nuova fiamma di Patrick, Leah che è un'ingenua che si crede furba, il gioviale e Peter Pan amico di Hannah, Adam, e la sciacquetta di sua sorella,Nora , tanto star ma senza valere nulla, i retroscena scomodi di tutti, ma anche le piccole sorprese. E' un autoconclusivo che ha una sua fine, ma di fatto è un finale aperto perchè le possibilità per ognuno sono infinte nel bene e nel male. Senza dimenticare un buon dolcetto lungo il cammino ;-)
August 6, 2012
ooooh finalmente un chick-lit come non ne leggevo da tempo!
Sappiamo dal genere che ci sarà una ragazza simil-trentenne in crisi col fidanzato facoltoso, il suo lavoro sarà decisamente figo, amici e genitori sempre presenti durante la storia, ad un certo punto l'amore e...
Beh da me non avrete nessuno spoiler sulla fine delle vicende e ho ben omesso taaaante cose, eppure le caratteristiche base dei chick-lit ci sono tutte.
Il libro mi è piaciuto, si legge in fretta e in alcuni punti mi ha lasciato quasi di sorpresa.. Unica cosa che mi ha dato fastidio è il fatto di saltare tra troppi personaggi, e di alcuni (come Tom e Alice) ne avrei anche fatto a meno, in fondo erano marginali nella storia di Hannah e hanno quasi trovato un ruolo da protagonisti...
Sono anche contenta di non aver trovato un libro smielenso, con una protagonista stupida, melodrammatica o estremamente pessimista come si solito accade. Per fortuna!
Sappiamo dal genere che ci sarà una ragazza simil-trentenne in crisi col fidanzato facoltoso, il suo lavoro sarà decisamente figo, amici e genitori sempre presenti durante la storia, ad un certo punto l'amore e...
Beh da me non avrete nessuno spoiler sulla fine delle vicende e ho ben omesso taaaante cose, eppure le caratteristiche base dei chick-lit ci sono tutte.
Il libro mi è piaciuto, si legge in fretta e in alcuni punti mi ha lasciato quasi di sorpresa.. Unica cosa che mi ha dato fastidio è il fatto di saltare tra troppi personaggi, e di alcuni (come Tom e Alice) ne avrei anche fatto a meno, in fondo erano marginali nella storia di Hannah e hanno quasi trovato un ruolo da protagonisti...
Sono anche contenta di non aver trovato un libro smielenso, con una protagonista stupida, melodrammatica o estremamente pessimista come si solito accade. Per fortuna!
August 24, 2012
3.5 stars
Mi aspettavo di più da questo libro, l'inizio prometteva bene, ma poi non è risultato quello che speravo. L'ho letto in un giorno e mezzo, e mi ha tenuto sveglia fino a tardi, è stato coinvolgente. Ma più di questo giudizio non posso dare.
Hannah è una vera delizia, e pensavo che la storia fosse più incentrata su di lei, invece tutti, ma proprio tutti i personaggi, hanno avuto una loro parte, chi più lunga e chi più corta.
Carino, ma troppo caotico. Troppe storie che sgomitano per essere protagoniste. Credo che alla fine anche la storia di Alice sia passata troppo in primo piano rispetto a quella di Hannah, che 'in realtà' sarebbe il personaggio principale del romanzo.
Sono rimasta un po' delusa. Pazienza. Avevo troppe aspettative stile Sophie Kinsella, divertente, ironico e strappalacrime.
Lo consiglio a chi vuole una lettura leggera e poco impegnativa, anche se la tragedia è sempre in agguato.
(Romanzo autoconclusivo)
Mi aspettavo di più da questo libro, l'inizio prometteva bene, ma poi non è risultato quello che speravo. L'ho letto in un giorno e mezzo, e mi ha tenuto sveglia fino a tardi, è stato coinvolgente. Ma più di questo giudizio non posso dare.
Hannah è una vera delizia, e pensavo che la storia fosse più incentrata su di lei, invece tutti, ma proprio tutti i personaggi, hanno avuto una loro parte, chi più lunga e chi più corta.
Carino, ma troppo caotico. Troppe storie che sgomitano per essere protagoniste. Credo che alla fine anche la storia di Alice sia passata troppo in primo piano rispetto a quella di Hannah, che 'in realtà' sarebbe il personaggio principale del romanzo.
Sono rimasta un po' delusa. Pazienza. Avevo troppe aspettative stile Sophie Kinsella, divertente, ironico e strappalacrime.
Lo consiglio a chi vuole una lettura leggera e poco impegnativa, anche se la tragedia è sempre in agguato.
(Romanzo autoconclusivo)
May 24, 2020
Libro molto carino, é stata una lettura piacevole. Fin dalle prime pagine mi ha subito catturata e l'ho letto con molto trasporto. Diversamente da come mi aspettavo non é un libro incentrato solo sulla protagonista e sulla sua storia, anzi. Mi é molto piaciuta l'idea del cambio repentino di narrazione tra un personaggio e l'altro per comprendere meglio l'intreccio di storie che compone il romanzo. Effettivamente se cosí non fosse stato il libro sarebbe risultato un po' noioso, invece in questo modo l'autrice l'ha reso meno monotono. Il vero difetto di questo libro, a mio parere, é il finale troppo frettoloso. Avrei preferito leggere cento pagine in più ma con un racconto terminato piuttosto che lasciare i fatti un po' incompleti e un po' buttati là. Peccato davvero perché é stata una lettura piacevole.
December 3, 2011
I enjoyed the book, and it had some moments that really spoke to me. I loved Meaney's descriptions of certain things; they just seemed incredibly true to life. I think my problem with this book comes in its trying to balance things that can't really be balanced. Some characters were incredibly well-rounded and realistic, while others seemed more cartoonish. And I don't understand the shoehorning of the story of Alice and Tom with the romantic entanglements of the other characters in the book. They just didn't fit.
It's a well-paced read with some fab characters and good moments, but it seemed too uneven for me to give it 4 stars.
It's a well-paced read with some fab characters and good moments, but it seemed too uneven for me to give it 4 stars.
dnf
May 22, 2013Unfortunately, this book and I didn't click at all. I hated the characters, I couldn't get into the storyline, and I couldn't bring myself to finish. Very bummed.
September 11, 2011
This was a touching story of love betrayed, personal growth and dream-come-true.
September 4, 2019
Not her best
I usually like this writer but this was quite boring and I kept getting confused with the all the characters
I usually like this writer but this was quite boring and I kept getting confused with the all the characters
January 8, 2018
This is my first Roisin Meaney novel and I am so glad I didn't just pick the one up on my greedy book acquiring spree. I feel that Ms Meaney could well end up on my favourites list if this particular book is anything to go by.
Set in Eire during the recession this is a tale of multiple characters going on with their daily lives - loving, losing, surviving - as every ordinary person must. Although a disparate bunch they are linked by the central Hannah, be they her friends, a friend of her parent's, sister to her best friend or simply a customer at work.
This book reminded me in no small way of Maeve Binchy's books. Stories of real people doing real things and something extraordinary can happen in a split second - be that for good or ill. This is very definitely not a criticism as it takes talent to weave so many disparate tales together and make even the minutiae of going to work even vaguely enjoyable to read. Enjoyable is very definitely what this book is and you do find yourself thinking "well, a couple more pages won't hurt - this next bit is about Leah/Alice/Whoever and I want to know what they are up to now". This is not helped by the book being split in to months and not chapters so it is way harder than you would think to put down.
There is no overt characterisation here, the story starts and you just have to hold the wuthor's hand and follow her in to these complex lives. Strangely by the time you get to the end of January you already have a good feel for who everyone is and what their personal strengths and weaknesses are. You are taken on an emotional roller coaster in every section and the major incident about halfway through is shocking and its aftermath is far reaching and feels entirely realistic and heartrending. I am sure there was a plot arc written down for this book but somehow it doesn't feel plotted, it feels like that is just the way the days unfolded and this is what happened so we'll go with the flow.
I will admit that I had to do a quick internet search for a couple of things when reading - being neither from Eire or a Catholic - I had no idea what Chocolate Kimberley Biscuits were (no I wish I didn't know because I am craving them!) or a Month's Mind. See, even a novel that is firmly categorised as Chick Lit can teach you something!
Wonderful story telling with warmth and doesn't shy away from the nastiness of human nature. Looking forward to opening my next Roisin Meaney novel!
Set in Eire during the recession this is a tale of multiple characters going on with their daily lives - loving, losing, surviving - as every ordinary person must. Although a disparate bunch they are linked by the central Hannah, be they her friends, a friend of her parent's, sister to her best friend or simply a customer at work.
This book reminded me in no small way of Maeve Binchy's books. Stories of real people doing real things and something extraordinary can happen in a split second - be that for good or ill. This is very definitely not a criticism as it takes talent to weave so many disparate tales together and make even the minutiae of going to work even vaguely enjoyable to read. Enjoyable is very definitely what this book is and you do find yourself thinking "well, a couple more pages won't hurt - this next bit is about Leah/Alice/Whoever and I want to know what they are up to now". This is not helped by the book being split in to months and not chapters so it is way harder than you would think to put down.
There is no overt characterisation here, the story starts and you just have to hold the wuthor's hand and follow her in to these complex lives. Strangely by the time you get to the end of January you already have a good feel for who everyone is and what their personal strengths and weaknesses are. You are taken on an emotional roller coaster in every section and the major incident about halfway through is shocking and its aftermath is far reaching and feels entirely realistic and heartrending. I am sure there was a plot arc written down for this book but somehow it doesn't feel plotted, it feels like that is just the way the days unfolded and this is what happened so we'll go with the flow.
I will admit that I had to do a quick internet search for a couple of things when reading - being neither from Eire or a Catholic - I had no idea what Chocolate Kimberley Biscuits were (no I wish I didn't know because I am craving them!) or a Month's Mind. See, even a novel that is firmly categorised as Chick Lit can teach you something!
Wonderful story telling with warmth and doesn't shy away from the nastiness of human nature. Looking forward to opening my next Roisin Meaney novel!
April 19, 2017
I'm actually quite surprised by the mediocre-ish ratings I see here! I really enjoyed this book, and this is coming from someone who normally doesn't read chick-lit, and can only handle so much romance at once...I'm just not into that whole love-dovey ooey gooey romance xP...(maybe that's why I loved the book? idk)
Unlike what a lot of people are saying here, I actually find the characters quite relatable. I feel like for shy women who are self conscious and are sensitive to what others think about them, they would want to hide their husband's alcoholic tendencies, and any "embarrassment" that would cause. And because Alice was so timid, and didn't want to stand up to her husband (she sounds like me- avoiding conflict at all costs), that's what ultimately what caused the horrible accident. Quite unfortunate, but I know for a fact that it happens more often than it should.
The dialogue wasn't cheesy, which I loved. And there's a variety of characters all going through their personal problems, and you get to see how some of those stories connect. I think it was written pretty well, and realistic enough for me :)
What I wished could have been different: I thought there was going to be more development with her cupcake shop. The whole point of the book was the 7-month trial period, to see how her business would grow. I feel like towards the end, the cupcake shop itself wasn't really a part of the story. I wished there were more details on the growth of the shop. And on the cupcakes!
*spoiler alert. beepbeepbeep* I feel like Hannah breaking up with John Wyatt was understandable once I gave it more thought- she's still kind of hung up on her ex, and he's hung up on his family. But...getting with Wally...I didn't expect that. We don't really know much about Wally. He just kind of...appeared. Not sure if I liked that part as much.
Anyway. I really did enjoy this story. I loved the characters, the plot, and especially the karma that screwed Patrick >:) 5/5!
Unlike what a lot of people are saying here, I actually find the characters quite relatable. I feel like for shy women who are self conscious and are sensitive to what others think about them, they would want to hide their husband's alcoholic tendencies, and any "embarrassment" that would cause. And because Alice was so timid, and didn't want to stand up to her husband (she sounds like me- avoiding conflict at all costs), that's what ultimately what caused the horrible accident. Quite unfortunate, but I know for a fact that it happens more often than it should.
The dialogue wasn't cheesy, which I loved. And there's a variety of characters all going through their personal problems, and you get to see how some of those stories connect. I think it was written pretty well, and realistic enough for me :)
What I wished could have been different: I thought there was going to be more development with her cupcake shop. The whole point of the book was the 7-month trial period, to see how her business would grow. I feel like towards the end, the cupcake shop itself wasn't really a part of the story. I wished there were more details on the growth of the shop. And on the cupcakes!
*spoiler alert. beepbeepbeep* I feel like Hannah breaking up with John Wyatt was understandable once I gave it more thought- she's still kind of hung up on her ex, and he's hung up on his family. But...getting with Wally...I didn't expect that. We don't really know much about Wally. He just kind of...appeared. Not sure if I liked that part as much.
Anyway. I really did enjoy this story. I loved the characters, the plot, and especially the karma that screwed Patrick >:) 5/5!
June 4, 2025
Este libro lleva en mi TBR desde 2016, y sinceramente, ni siquiera sé cómo llegó ahí.
Se supone que es una novela romántica, pero mientras lo leía, no podía evitar sentir que estaba viendo una película de sobremesa de fin de semana: la terminas y no te ha dicho gran cosa.
La premisa es sencilla: la protagonista, Hannah, acaba de ser dejada por otra persona y tiene que recomponerse mientras abre su nuevo negocio. El problema es la cantidad excesiva de historias secundarias que terminan diluyendo la trama principal, hasta el punto de que pierde fuerza e interés.
Y no es solo la historia de Hannah; también tenemos la de Leah, Patrick, Nora, Adam, John, Alice… ¿veis por dónde voy? Además, la estructura del libro, dividida por meses, hace que se salte constantemente de una historia a otra, lo que impide que conectes del todo con ninguna.
Los personajes son otro punto débil. Me han parecido bastante planos y estandarizados, sin nada especialmente interesante o novedoso que los haga destacar. Mención especial a lo innecesaria que me ha parecido la aportación de Patrick: al principio parece arrepentido, luego repite el mismo patrón con Leah, y aun así se sorprende de que las cosas no le salgan bien… y por si fuera poco, pretende volver con Hannah como si nada hubiera pasado.
Por último, el final me ha parecido forzado. Desde el principio se intuye con quién acabará la protagonista, pero la ejecución deja mucho que desear: apenas hay interacción real entre los personajes, lo que hace que el desenlace resulte poco creíble.
Venía buscando algo ligero y divertido, y me he encontrado con una historia plana y bastante aburrida.
Se supone que es una novela romántica, pero mientras lo leía, no podía evitar sentir que estaba viendo una película de sobremesa de fin de semana: la terminas y no te ha dicho gran cosa.
La premisa es sencilla: la protagonista, Hannah, acaba de ser dejada por otra persona y tiene que recomponerse mientras abre su nuevo negocio. El problema es la cantidad excesiva de historias secundarias que terminan diluyendo la trama principal, hasta el punto de que pierde fuerza e interés.
Y no es solo la historia de Hannah; también tenemos la de Leah, Patrick, Nora, Adam, John, Alice… ¿veis por dónde voy? Además, la estructura del libro, dividida por meses, hace que se salte constantemente de una historia a otra, lo que impide que conectes del todo con ninguna.
Los personajes son otro punto débil. Me han parecido bastante planos y estandarizados, sin nada especialmente interesante o novedoso que los haga destacar. Mención especial a lo innecesaria que me ha parecido la aportación de Patrick: al principio parece arrepentido, luego repite el mismo patrón con Leah, y aun así se sorprende de que las cosas no le salgan bien… y por si fuera poco, pretende volver con Hannah como si nada hubiera pasado.
Por último, el final me ha parecido forzado. Desde el principio se intuye con quién acabará la protagonista, pero la ejecución deja mucho que desear: apenas hay interacción real entre los personajes, lo que hace que el desenlace resulte poco creíble.
Venía buscando algo ligero y divertido, y me he encontrado con una historia plana y bastante aburrida.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2020
This book turned out to be more romance than food-centered so not quite what I was looking for. I wanted a story involving scents and aromas and ingredients that really invoked baking and owning a cupcake shop. It did it to some extent, but not as much as I would have liked. That being said, the story was very reminiscent to me of Maeve Binchy's Irish stories, which I love, and of The Beach Street Bakery, also a sweet bakery story. Perfect light reading for a pandemic time.
Hannah is opening her bakery in a little Irish town, when her boyfriend leaves her for his pregnant girlfriend, who she had no idea about. Hurt and heartbroken, she goes ahead with trying to make a success of her new business and with moving on without him. We learn about life in a small town, the overlapping of friends and acquaintances and lives, and how people cope, or not, in different ways.
Hannah is opening her bakery in a little Irish town, when her boyfriend leaves her for his pregnant girlfriend, who she had no idea about. Hurt and heartbroken, she goes ahead with trying to make a success of her new business and with moving on without him. We learn about life in a small town, the overlapping of friends and acquaintances and lives, and how people cope, or not, in different ways.
June 4, 2020
I got this book when someone left it in my little free library. I am so glad they did, because I have found a new author! Not groundbreaking reading certainly, but entertaining and I enjoyed it. I liked Hannah and was rooting for her business to succeed. I'm glad she ended up with Wally, I think they will make a better couple than her and Patrick for sure and even her and John. I'm glad Patrick got his, although I feel bad for Leah that she is left to raise the baby she wasn't thinking she would probably have. I will for sure read more by Roisin Meaney when I can find them.
January 6, 2021
2.5 stars. I liked this story and the characters but didn’t love it. This book reminded me somewhat of “The Fall and Rise of Sadie McQueen”. Lots of characters with multiple storylines to follow. I also found it really hard to relate to one of the characters (Leah) whose manipulative actions were dealt with sympathetically by the author when all I could do was judge her for her dishonesty and dishonorable behavior.
I think I would have enjoyed the book more with a smaller cast of characters and more time spent on Adam who I loved.
I think I would have enjoyed the book more with a smaller cast of characters and more time spent on Adam who I loved.
August 1, 2021
I’m always into reading about food, cooking & baking, so I couldn’t resist this one.
Hannah is about to open her own cupcakes shop (in a small Irish village) when her boyfriend announces that he’s leaving her.
It’s not such a light read as it would seem at first glance since there’s some heavy drama going on in the background. And somehow this reminded me of Maeve Binchy’s writing and plot type (though I appreciated more the way Roisin handled the drama here).
There was just some romance in here that didn’t convince me… otherwise I quite enjoyed it!
Hannah is about to open her own cupcakes shop (in a small Irish village) when her boyfriend announces that he’s leaving her.
It’s not such a light read as it would seem at first glance since there’s some heavy drama going on in the background. And somehow this reminded me of Maeve Binchy’s writing and plot type (though I appreciated more the way Roisin handled the drama here).
There was just some romance in here that didn’t convince me… otherwise I quite enjoyed it!
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